Rounds bill reduces veterans’ emergency healthcare costs

United States military veterans who receive emergency care outside the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) would not be held liable for out-of-pocket healthcare costs under legislation introduced last week by U.S. Sen. Mike Rounds (R-SD).

The Veterans’ Emergency Care Claims Parity Act, S. 1875, which Sen. Rounds sponsored on May 27, would ensure healthcare “providers have the time needed to submit claims for veterans and veterans are not forced to pick up the tab for thousands of dollars in emergency care bills,” said Sen. Rounds. “Our veterans deserve the best possible treatment and I want to make sure they receive it.”

If enacted, S. 1875 would legislate a 180-day deadline from date of treatment for non-VA healthcare providers to submit emergency care claims for services provided to eligible veterans, regardless of whether the VA determines if such care was for a non-service-connected or service-connected condition, according to the text of the bill.

“Right now, veterans are getting hit with expensive emergency care bills through no fault of their own, either because their provider failed to submit a claim on time under a current VA 90-day deadline or because the VA mishandled the claim,” Sen. Rounds said. “This 90-day deadline at the VA is regulation, not law, and my bill would set that deadline at 180 days under law.”

S. 1875 has been referred for consideration to the U.S. Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committee.